The Supreme Court, on May 11, dismissed the curative petition filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to enhance the punishment of the accused in the Bhopal Gas Tragedy case. The petition was filed in August 2010 against an order of the apex court that diluted the charges against the accused in 1996. The court said that the CBI approached the court after a long period of 14 years and there were no sufficient grounds to invoke the curative jurisdiction.

Toxins implanted into GM food crops to kill pests are reaching bloodstreams of women and unborn babies, research revealed. A landmark study found 93 per cent of blood samples taken from pregnant women and 80 per cent from umbilical cords tested positive for traces of the chemicals.

China has banned bisphenol A (BPA) in baby bottles and is also contemplating increasing the death penalty to crack down on food safety rule violations. Six ministries including the ministry of health, issued notices, on May 31, confirming that use of BPA in the manufacture of infant bottles will be illegal from June 1, 2011. The notice also said that from September 1, 2011, it will be illegal to import or sell any BPA-containing baby bottles. The local food inspectors have been alerted to tighten the scrutiny on baby bottle producers to ensure compliance of the rule.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA’s) annual pesticide data were delayed by five months this year, thanks to the relentless effort of the food industry lobby. The USDA, however, deserves a pat on the back for not buckling under pressure of the pesticide lobby. The report released this year is no different from the earlier years despite a delay.

Germany is the epicenter of an E coli outbreak in the European Union (EU). Since its outbreak on May 2, death toll has gone up to 38 in Germany, with nearly 3300 people falling ill. Several cases of kidney complications too have been reported.